we turn to john dickerson the cbs news political director for an analysis as we approach the election. welcome. >> we have about five or ten minutes here. give me a snapshot of where this election is as we go into this weekend and the candidates will be making their closing arguments. >> that's right. they're both making their closing arguments. they are all going to the same states. those eight battleground states. ohio is still the granddaddy of them all. governor romney is going there the most of all the battleground states, the same with the president. right now would you have to say that the president has the better electoral map. the polls in more battleground states are favouring him. but romney is doing better in north carolina and florida, and on the early vote he's doing well in those states, doing well in colorado. but the president is doing well in iowa and nevada with the early vote which tells it us a little bit how this thing is starting to break. >> rose: do they have two different views of america that they are appealing to? >> in this last moment they are both appeal